Marcin Mastalerek is set to take over as head of the President’s Office, replacing Paweł Szrot, who has moved to the Parliament, leaving a vacancy in the presidency’s staff, according to government spokesman Piotr Müller as reported by Polsat News. Müller added that if the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO) is unlocked without any legal changes, it would appear to be a political maneuver by the European Commission.
Shifts in the President’s Chancellery
The current head of the president’s cabinet has become a Member of Parliament for Law and Justice, creating a vacancy in the office.
– explained the government spokesman, referring to changes within the President’s Chancellery.
The leader of the political cabinet previously served as an MP for Law and Justice and aligns with the United Right coalition, Müller noted.
When asked about Mastalerek’s suggestion that PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński should withdraw from politics, Müller disagreed. He emphasized that the United Right remains intact because the PiS leader can balance various components within the bloc.
Consultations with the President
Mueller also mentioned that the reshuffle in the President’s Chancellery would take place on Tuesday at 11 a.m., an hour before Andrzej Duda’s planned meeting with PiS representatives at the Presidential Palace as part of consultations with election commissions. The journalist inquired whether Jarosław Kaczyński would be present in the PiS delegation and thus participate in Mastalerek’s meeting.
“No. Personal conspiracy theories are popular in the media. The head of the parliamentary club attends, and the current Prime Minister also attends,” Müller responded.
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Funding from the National Reconstruction Plan
In response to questions about Donald Tusk’s planned Brussels visit to press the KPO issue, Müller suggested the timing might be a week late, and the KPO could be unblocked the day after the election.
He recalled Tusk’s campaign vow in Sopot to begin disbursing funds from the National Reconstruction Plan the day after the elections, allowing the public to feel the impact of the program.
Asked whether funds could be released without legal changes, Müller replied that such a move would be a political decision rather than a formal one.
If such a decision were made, it would contradict recent statements from the European Commission, which claimed that unlocking funds required changes in law rather than a political decision. Müller asserted that a release without legal changes would expose the EC’s position as inaccurate.
Last June, the EC accepted Poland’s KPO as a step toward disbursing 23.9 billion euros in grants and 11.5 billion euros in loans. However, payments were not made. The EC noted that the Polish FPA contains milestones related to judicial independence that are pivotal for improving the investment climate, and that Poland must demonstrate these milestones before payments are released, within the framework of the Reconstruction Fund.
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO) consolidates 54 investments and 48 reforms, aimed at strengthening the Polish economy and weathering potential crises. Poland is slated to receive 158.5 billion PLN, comprised of 106.9 billion PLN in grants and 51.6 billion PLN in favorable loans.
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Plans for credit holidays and the Central Communications Port
The government spokesperson added that the Council of Ministers will discuss the bill extending credit holidays and the bill for the Central Communications Port (CPK).
The forthcoming Council of Ministers meeting will address the multi-year program for the CPK infrastructure and related rail projects.
– Piotr Müller outlined the plan to present the draft decision establishing the multi-year program for the Central Communications Port Investment Program Phase II 2024–2030 and the draft resolution about passenger rolling stock for the CPK program. He serves as the government’s plenipotentiary for the CPK.
Following the cabinet meeting, a press conference is scheduled at the Prime Minister’s Chancellery with Müller, the CPK plenipotentiary Marcin Horała, and Waldemar Buda, Minister of Development and Technology.
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wkt/PAP
Source: wPolityce